RAC REuropean Cover

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Mon 23 Dec 2002 23:20
RAC REuropean Cover - JohnM52
I had occasion to call on the assistance of the above when car broke down on journey to the ferry port. This meant that if the car could not be repaired that day a hire car would be provided. Since it was a Sunday it was soon agreed that a hire car should be organised.

Since I had European Cover, expected that a hire car would be legal for the journey I was to make. Car was collected and found to have none of what I consider to be standard items when crossing into Europe; no fire extinguisher, no first aid kit, no replacement bulb kit, no warning triangle, no headlamp beam deflectors and no GB plate (not even Euro number plates). I am also a bit worried about the paperwork supplied - it certainly did not seem adequate to persuade some of the foreign traffoic enforcement bodies that I was entitled to remove the vehicle from UK and insured to drive it. However, the paperwork is not the main point. I have written to RAC about the lack of the basic items above; the response so far is that no hire company supplies these items and that a normal car going abroad would carry an extinguisher and first aid kit. I did, but by the time I realised thay were not supplied my own car was 90 minutes fom me and travelling in the opposite direction to my ferry.

How can i make a supposedly responsible organisation like RAC recognise that some of us like to be legal and not to go overseas in breach of the regulations of another country. In addition, unbolting the fire ext. form my own car would leave me with the option of having a lethal weapon in the cabin should a collision occur and the extinguisher take to the air, or not having it to hand if it were needed.

I have written again to point out that only two of the missing items were addressed in their reply and that there assumptions are unreasonable in these circusmatances of breakdown.

Any other experiences out there?

JohnM
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Tue 24 Dec 2002 11:19
RAC REuropean Cover - Trisha TR
I don't think that it's unreasonable to expect a 'EU' pack to be offered as an option... and if you've got European breakdown then the pack should come as standard. I certainly think you should be offered some sort of compensation (even if you didn't get stopped by foreign police) - this perhaps should free cover next time you travel abroad.

Putting the kit in all cars would lead to a marked increase in cost of a hire car - extinguishers would go missing, First Aid kits (if not nicked) would need to be checked and/or replenished each time the vehicle is returned. The other items (triangle & bulbs) would also be attractive to some people. So I don't believe they should be standard (though the GB plate should be), however I agree 100% that if you have European cover then a 'pack' should be provided.
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